


One Who Holds the Heart

by PuppetMaster55



Series: Uliro Week [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 21:25:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11044626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppetMaster55/pseuds/PuppetMaster55
Summary: Ulaz helps Shiro through a nightmare, and uses a word that not many use anymore.





	One Who Holds the Heart

Ulaz woke in the dark of the night to Shiro in the midst of the nightmare – or a memory that might as well have been one. Shiro writhed in bed, thrashed and bucked and let out huffing moans and breathless groans.

“Shiro,” Ulaz murmured, gently reaching out. “Shiro, _zamen_ , wake. It's only a dream. You are here with me. You are safe. You are safe.”

He wrapped his arms around Shiro, pulled him close, held him dear. Shiro struggled, still, eyes snapping open, wide and unseeing. Ulaz continued talking, still so softly, still whispering that Shiro was safe, that he was with his _zamen_.

“You are here,” Ulaz murmured into Shiro's scalp, feeling him slow, feeling the pounding of Shiro's heart slow. “You are safe. _Zamen_. You are safe.”

Shiro stiffened once more, before relaxing into Ulaz's grip. He let out a long and shaky breath, and nodded. “Thank you. I– I thought I was back–”

“You are not there,” Ulaz replied, gently cutting across Shiro's words. “You are here, safe, with me. _Zamen_ , you are not there anymore.”

Shiro nodded. Quietly, he asked, “Can I... look, you're kind of squishing me a bit here, and I'd like to – to have the chance to squish _you_ for a change.” He looked over his shoulder at Ulaz. “Let me be the big spoon?”

“Of course, _zamen_ ,” Ulaz replied, loosening his grip and rolling onto his other side. He felt the bed shift as Shiro turned over too, and smiled as Shiro draped an arm over his side, barely making it all the way over. The other arm slid it's way under Ulaz's shirt, to feel his skin, feel his warmth. Ulaz reached up, curling his hand around Shiro's forearm, careful to avoid touching where it ended, the scars still barely visible. Not for the first time, Ulaz wished he had saved Shiro sooner, wished he hadn't had to replace his _zaman's_ hand with one more mechanical.

Shiro stiffened at the contact, still unused to sensation on an arm he usually kept hidden beneath armor, connected to the hand. It had taken some convincing on Ulaz's part – and with the aid of the Yellow Paladin – to get Shiro to take it off while he slept.

Ulaz smiled at Shiro relaxed into the touch, felt Shiro's hand splay out and run up along his spine before resting near his heart.

“Why do you call me that?” Shiro asked. “It's– I can hear the word you're saying, but the translators keep saying it's – old friend?”

Ulaz's ears flickered in curiosity. He turned his head to better see Shiro looking at him, brow furrowed in confusion. “Is that what you hear? It's a terrible translation of an old word. Not many use it in these quintants. I would not know how you would call it in your language. It means... one who holds the heart.”

Shiro tilted his head, matching Ulaz's confusion. “It's a term of endearment? Like sweetheart or beloved?”

Ulaz smiled. Humans would never cease to amaze with the variety of their terms. “Beloved. That is a lovely word.” He canted his head, still smiling. “I suppose that would be the closest equivalent, yes. You are _zamen_. You hold my heart. You are beloved.”

Shiro's cheeks dusted pink, blushing. He buried his head between Ulaz's shoulders, before tilting upward to nuzzle at the base of his neck. An old sign of love, one that left Ulaz shivering with excitement, with pleasure, with love.

“ _Zamen_ ,” Shiro murmured the word into Ulaz's skin. “ _Zamen_. You're my _zamen_. My beloved Ulaz. _Zamen_.”

 


End file.
